Chain construction.



Qlhlinllflfli CHRISTOHEE J. ROACH, OF MIDDLETQVIN, CGNNECTICUT.

CHAIN CONSTBJCTION.

specification of Letters Eatent.

Patent-ed Feb. 26, 1918.

Application filed ctoloer 8. 1915, Serial No. 54,730.

To aZ 'who/n, 'it may co'nceom:

Be it known thatl". Cnaisrorirnn J. ilosci-I, a citizen of the United States. residing at Middletown, in the county of Middle.- sex and State of Conneoticut, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in (haiu Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in chain construction, and the object of my improvement is simplicity and eoonoiny in construction and convenience and efiiciency in use.

in the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a chain made in accordance with my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, on an enlarged scalc, of a pair of adjacent links.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank for one of the links.

Fig'. Li is a view corresponding' to Fig. 2 of a pair of links for a larger size of chain.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank for one of the links shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

My improved chain construction comprises the use of a series of similar U-shaped links that are hooked together to make up the desired length. and which links involve special features of construction, to be described.

The blank for the links shown in Fig. 1, which blank is shown in Fig. 3, comprises a forged piece of bar form, having the middle portion 10 of appreciable length and of cross-section corresponding to that of the original bar, and having` end portions 11 that are similar and each being fiattened out and provided with an opening 12 to form an eye.

The inclosing walls for the opening or eye 12 comprise the. side bars 13 at the sides and the end bar 14- cross-connecting the ends thereof. The opening 12 is so positioned that eXtra thickness is provided for the end bar 14, relatively to the side bars 13, so as to provide for wear, as in use the inner edge portion of the bar 14 serves as a bearing surface.

The blank, as shown and described, is bent into U-shape to form the inished link, being bent symmetrically along the middle portion 10, the flattened end portions 117 with the eyes 12, being' brought to oppose one another and in parallelism and in spaced relat-ion. The space 15 between the opposed end portions 11 is made to correspond to the thickness of the side bars 13 of the eyes 12 of the mating link, so that as the pair of opposed eyes 12 of the said mating link are slipped over one of the eyes 12, corresponding to the fiattened enc portion 11.7 in threading the links togetheiz/ the two side bars 13 on one side of the said eyes 12 will freely pass along the space 157 the two links being positioned at an angle of substantially ninety degrces during such threading.

By lnivin` the eyes in spaced relation as descrihed the assembling and disinantling of the ohaiu is facilitated and the same may be effected without the necessity of forcing 'apart or springing the arms of the U-shaped links.

In order to insure the spaced relation of the end portions 11 as described find it desirable to provide individual seats for each of the crosshars 14,, the said seats 16 being in proper spaced relation, and separated by some form of division wall, such as the hump 17 formed by a kink or inward bend of the material of the bar of which the link is' formed, and positioned at the apeX portion of the link.

111 the case of the larger sizcs7 shown in Fig's. 4, 5, and 6? the construction is generally the same as that described.l the eXception being` in the manner of forming the hump 17a, which is in the form of aforging, as distinguished from a bend, and may consist of a diminutive rib as shown or any other form of projection.

.lt will he noted that the humps 17 and 17a serve also to bring the flattened end portions 11 substantially in line when the chain'is under strain, the same of course being arranged in pairs.

n my improved form of chain construction as described the full strength of the bar is available for tensile strain and excess material is provided at the eyes to allow for wear.

My Chain construction as described is adapted for producingI chains of large material for heavy duty and at the same time to permit of readily assembling and disassembling the links at will, and without the use of special tools or any tools whatsoever, such assembling and disassembling being permissible and positively provided for. These results are possible by reason of the combination of features, as shown and described, comprising the bar-like form for the blank,

; opposed eyes, the Walls of the individual eyes being flattened, the openings of the eyes being of such size as to slip over the fiattened Walls of one of the mating eyes, the interengaging of the links in the manner described being facilitated by having the opposed eyes in spaced relation, and finally such spaced relation being made positive and permanent by providinlg individual seats for the individual eyes on the loop With which they are engaged by means of the division Wall or Separator in the form of a projection on the inner face of the loop.

Heretofore, in Chains for heavy duty no provision has been made for assembling and disassembling the links in the manner described.

I claim as my inventionz- In Chain construction for heavy duty Chains7 a series of similar links adapted to be assembled and disassembled Without the use of tools or auxiliary devices, the said links being formed of relatively heavy bar material and comprising a body portion of loop form and end portions in opposition and having eyes that are adapted to slip over the individual eyes of a mating` link, the said body portion having on the inner wall a projection-separator for providing individual seats for the eyes of the mating link the link structure being set so that the opposed eyes are spaced suitably to provide a sliding` fit for the side Wall portions of the eyes of the mating link, and the eye structure being appreciably fiattened so as to require a minimum of such spacing` of the op- A posed eyes.

CHRISTOPHER J. ROAOH.

Witnesses: w

BENNEY VARoN, J. R. BARLOW.

Coples of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

